Chicken birria tacos are delicious and much easier to make than the beef. Grab you a crockpot or slow cooker and the rest cooks itself.
Move over, traditional tacos, there’s a new trend in town and it’s taking the Mexican cuisine scene by storm. Introducing chicken birria tacos, the hottest sensation that’s got foodies everywhere flocking to their local taquerias. With their succulent shredded chicken filling, savory consommé dipping sauce, and perfectly toasted tortillas, these tacos are a flavor explosion like no other.
But what exactly is birria? Originating from the state of Jalisco in Mexico, birria is a slow-cooked meat dish traditionally made with goat or lamb. However, the recent rise in popularity has seen chicken become a popular alternative. The flavorful meat is marinated in a bold blend of spices, creating a delectable and complex taste that’s hard to resist.
One of the reasons behind this trend is the memorable experience that chicken birria tacos provide. The luscious and tender meat combined with the rich consommé creates a marriage of flavors that is simply irresistible. Plus, the addition of melted cheese and crunchy onions takes these tacos to the next level of indulgence.
So if you’re looking to spice up your taco game, give chicken birria tacos a try. We guarantee they’ll have you hooked from the first bite.
How To Make Chicken Birria Tacos
Ingredients needed
- Chicken breast or thighs
- Dried chilies (red Anaheim or guajillo, ancho & chilies de arbol)
- Garlic
- Onion
- Oil
- Spices (listed below)
- Bay leaf
- Chicken bouillon cube
- Toppings (cheese, cilantro & onion)
- Corn tortillas
Quick tips before starting for the best tacos
- You’ll need to add extra oil because chicken is so lean. Typically, the fat is what is used to cook the tortillas in but due to a lack of fat in the chicken you’ll need to add a little bit when cooking the tortillas.
- When picking out your chilies make sure the chilies are bendable and are brittle and breaking. That is a sign they are no good and they will lack flavor.
Making the chicken birria tacos in the slow cooker
- First, remove the stems and seed from the dried chilies. Then in a pot, add in the garlic, onion and the dried chilies. Add water then bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and allow the the ingredients to cook 10-15 minutes to soften the onion, garlic and rehydrate the chilies.
- Drain the water. Place the ingredients into a blender then add clean water in and blend until smooth.
- Stir in the crumbled bouillon cube, oregano and cumin.
- In the crockpot, add in the chicken then pour the blended ingredients over top. Toss in the bay leaf. You’ll need to add salt to taste but you can wait until the recipe is finished or do it now.
- Turn the crockpot on high for 4 hours.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove it then shred and chop the chicken.
- The consommé is the sauce used to cook the chicken in. Remove for serving and dipping the tortillas.
- In a skillet or pan on medium high heat. You’ll need high heat for the crispiness. Add a little oil into the pan then dip the tortilla in some of the consommé you put to the side. Lay flat in the pan then add cheese and the chopped chicken. Fold the tortilla over then cook both sides while the cheese melts. Remove once both sides are browned and toasted.
- Serve with the consommé with onions and chopped cilantro.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I use corn or flour tortillas for birria tacos?
I strongly suggest going to your local Mexican restaurant and getting handmade corn tortillas from there. You could make your own but they are super cheap. The store bought corn tortillas are normally bad and stale. Flour tortillas work but flour tends to get soggy rather than stay crispy.
What’s the best cheese or what cheese to use for birria tacos?
Chicken birria tacos are great with Oaxaca cheese. It’s close to mozzarella but mozzarella lacks the smokey and salty notes in Oaxaca cheese. You can also get a pre-shredded quesadilla blend from the grocery store that works just as well.
Taco recipes to try next
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Chicken Birria Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pound chicken breast or boneless thighs
- corn tortillas
- cooking oil
- cilantro & onion for topping
Birria Sauce & consommé
- 4 red Anaheim or guajillo chilies
- 3 ancho chilies
- 3 chilies de arbol
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/4 medium yellow onion
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
Instructions
- First, remove the stems and seed from the dried chilies. Then in a pot, add in the garlic, onion and the dried chilies. Add water then bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and allow the the ingredients to cook 10-15 minutes to soften the onion, garlic and rehydrate the chilies.
- Drain the water. Place the ingredients into a blender then add clean water in and blend until smooth.
- Stir in the crumbled bouillon cube, oregano and cumin.
- In the crockpot, add in the chicken then pour the blended ingredients over top. Toss in the bay leaf. You'll need to add salt to taste but you can wait until the recipe is finished or do it now.
- Turn the crockpot on high for 4 hours.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove it then shred and chop the chicken.
- The consommé is the sauce used to cook the chicken in. Remove for serving and dipping the tortillas.
- In a skillet or pan on medium high heat. You'll need high heat for the crispiness. Add a little oil into the pan then dip the tortilla in some of the consommé you put to the side. Lay flat in the pan then add cheese and the chopped chicken. Fold the tortilla over then cook both sides while the cheese melts. Remove once both sides are browned and toasted.
- Serve with the consommé with onions and chopped cilantro.
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
